Treating The ‘Root’ Of The Problem

March 5, 2016

Have you ever been faced with a problem that, once you got to the bottom of it, found that you didn’t have the stomach for the right solution?

Throughout my entire 38-year career treating smiles in Kennewick, nowhere have I found this to be more true than when comes to patients in dire need of a root canal. You’d think I just told them that they had vampires in their mouth; that’s how spooked they get.

Their reaction usually involves pleading with me to find any other treatment besides a root canal that can effectively treat the damage caused by an infection in the root of a tooth caused by an advanced cavity. Like them, it seems that you will do anything in your power to avoid a root canal.

And those are the better patients. Most of you won’t even bother coming in to see me at all as a result of an unfounded fear over a simple, painless procedure. When that happens, and fear takes hold of you, there’s nothing I can do to help. And if I cannot help,then there is nothing that will stop that infection of the tooth root from progressing to the point of an eventual tooth extraction – or worse, a full mouth extraction due to the spread of infection throughout their entire smile.

As you can imagine, allowing fear of a root canal to get in the way of the treatment that you desperately need is a prescription for a dental emergency. Everything, from the pain you’re experiencing to the cost of the dental work itself, will be much greater than it needs to be compared to getting a run-of-the-mill root canal.

I’m pleased to tell you that, despite all of your worst fears and all of the exaggerated “information” surrounding root canals, this procedure relieves pain instead of causing it, and can be performed in just one quick afternoon appointment!

What is a Root Canal?

Just like the rest of your body, your teeth are made of different parts. When you get a particularly nasty little cavity, and that cavity grows into a particularly big one, the inner parts of your tooth can become infected and exposed.

A fleshy, tender tissue known as tooth pulp is located beneath a secondary layer of hard material called dentin. When a cavity has comprised the pulp with a bacterial infection, that pulp can become inflamed. After enough time, the infected pulp can threaten the root and nerves that keep the tooth supplied with blood and other nutrients which keep it healthy under normal circumstances.

A root canal, then, is a procedure that involves cleaning out all of the nasty, toxic junk and bacteria that have set up shop inside the tooth itself, then filling it back up with a composite resin which prevents further infection and matches the natural color of your teeth.

With the right combination of a local anesthetic and my skilled hands, you won’t experience any tremendous pain or discomfort. In fact, a root canal will eliminate the pain of that constant, throbbing toothache, and will prevent it from growing any worse by removing the cause of that pain in one sitting.

Anything less than that, and you’re simply skirting around the real root of the problem, which will only get worse in time.

The Benefits of Healthy Tooth Pulp

Aside from maintaining healthy gums, keeping the interior of your tooth healthy is the best way to keep your smile in proper shape. This is a form of dentistry known as endodontics. It’s not as scary as you have been lead to believe, and is simply a part of making sure that your smile never gives in to an easily treatable problem.

Healthy pulp can make your teeth more resistant to other issues, including cavities and gum disease, and make them generally more resilient to injury. Teeth with infected pulp aren’t getting as much nutrients they need to stay healthy and strong, and can become easier to break as a result of tooth decay.

Once you’ve seen how painless and easy the process is, you’ll be kicking yourself for not getting this treatment sooner!

Making Treatment A Priority

The only way a root canal can’t help you is if you simply refuse to get one. Fortunately, you now know that this isn’t an option if you want a healthy smile that you can be proud to show off.